PIAA Swimming Preview: Meet the Schuylkill League’s state qualifiers
The Schuylkill League's state swimming qualifiers gathered for a practice session March 7, 2026, at Blue Mountain's Glen Belmont Natatorium (Photo by Leroy Boyer).
League sending 27 swimmers, divers to Bucknell
The PIAA Class AA Swimming and Diving Championships will be held Friday-Saturday, March 13-14, at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium.
The boys’ preliminaries are set for 8:05-9:35 a.m. each day, with the girls’ preliminaries to follow at 10:55 a.m. to 12:25 p.m.
The top 16 finishers in the preliminaries advance to the night session, with the top eight in the championship (medal) races and the 9-16 finishers competing in the consolations.
The boys’ championships/consolations will be held from 4:30-6:10 p.m. both days, with the girls to follow at 7 p.m. Friday and 7:05 p.m. Saturday.
The PIAA Class AA Boys’ Diving Championships will be held Friday, beginning at 12:40 p.m. The PIAA Class AA Girls’ Diving Championships will be held at the same time Saturday.
The Schuylkill League will send 27 swimmers/divers to Bucknell this weekend, with several seeded in medal-winning position.
Here’s a look at our local qualifiers, separated by individual qualifiers and relay team qualifiers and listed in alphabetical order:
GIRLS’ INDIVIDUALS
Lily Brown
School: Mahanoy Area
Grade: Sophomore
Event(s): 200 IM, 100 backstroke
When does she compete: Friday, 200 IM; Saturday, 100 backstroke
District 11 finish: 200 IM, 1st, 2:14.01; 100 backstroke, 2nd, 59.73
PIAA Seed: 200 IM, 10th; 100 backstroke, 15th
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: 200 IM — Heat 4, Lane 6; 100 backstroke — Heat 2, Lane 2
Notes: Making first appearance at states
Shaylee Gormley
School: Tamaqua
Grade: Freshman
Event(s): 50 freestyle
District 11 finish: 2nd, 24.82
PIAA Seed: 19th
When does she compete: Friday, 50 freestyle; Saturday, 400 freestyle relay
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: 50 freestyle — Heat 4, Lane 1
Notes: Will also compete in 400 freestyle relay
Alayna Hensel
School: Blue Mountain
Grade: Sophomore
Event(s): 100 breaststroke
District 11 finish: 2nd, 1:08.94
PIAA Seed: 28th
When does she compete: Friday, 200 freestyle relay; Saturday, 100 breaststroke, 400 freestyle relay
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: Heat 1, Lane 6
Notes: Placed 30th in 100 breaststroke last year at states in 1:11.25
Hailey Scheuer
School: Blue Mountain
Grade: Junior
Event(s): Girls’ diving
District 11 finish: Champion
PIAA Seed: 7th
When does she compete: Saturday, 12:40 p.m.
Notes: Scheuer’s third trip to the state meet. She’s placed 18th and 11th in her two previous appearances.
Hope Stauffer
School: Schuylkill Haven
Grade: Sophomore
Event(s): 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle
District 11 finish: 50 freestyle, 3rd, 25.09; 100 freestyle, 2nd, 54.27
PIAA Seed: 50 freestyle, 25th; 100 freestyle, 22nd
When does she compete: Friday, 50 freestyle; Saturday, 100 freestyle
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: 50 freestyle — Heat 1, Lane 4; 100 freestyle — Heat 4, Lane 8
Notes: Competed in four events at states last year: 50 freestyle (25th, 25.26), 100 freestyle (20th, 54.96), 200 freestyle relay (28th, 1:45.33) and 400 freestyle relay (26th, 3:51.53).
Lydia Strucko
School: Marian
Grade: Junior
Event(s): 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke
District 11 finish: 100 butterfly, 1st, 57.49; 100 backstroke, 1st, 55.68
PIAA Seed: 100 butterfly, 2nd; 100 backstroke, 2nd
When does she compete: Friday, 100 butterfly; Saturday, 100 backstroke
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: 100 butterfly — Heat 3, Lane 4; 100 backstroke — Heat 3, Lane 4
Notes: At states for the third straight year. Last season, Strucko earned a sixth-place state medal in the 100 backstroke (56.83) and placed 10th in the 200 IM (2:08.84).
Savannah Wilson
School: Tamaqua
Grade: Senior
Event(s): 100 breaststroke
District 11 finish: 1st, 1:04.96
PIAA Seed: 3rd
When does she compete: Friday in 200 medley relay; Saturday in 100 breaststroke, 400 freestyle relay
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: Heat 2, Lane 4
Notes: At states for the third straight season. Last year, Wilson earned a seventh-place medal in the 100 breaststroke in 1:06.53.
GIRLS’ RELAYS
Tamaqua 200 medley relay
Team members: Kate Behun, Savannah Wilson, Audrey Nattress, Ava Jones
District 11 finish: 1st, 1:54.68
When do they compete: Friday morning
PIAA Seed: 20th
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: Heat 3, Lane 1
Blue Mountain 200 freestyle relay
Team members: Anna Kaplafka, Alayna Hensel, Lola Machamer, Isabella Lafko
District 11 finish: 1st, 1:44.59
When do they compete: Friday morning
PIAA Seed: 22nd
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: Heat 4, Lane 8
Tamaqua 400 freestyle relay
Team members: Janna Brown, Kate Behun, Savannah Wilson, Shaylee Gormley
District 11 finish: 1st, 3:48.65
When do they compete: Saturday morning
PIAA Seed: 23rd
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: Heat 3, Lane 8
Blue Mountain 400 freestyle relay
Team members: Anna Kaplafka, Alayna Hensel, Lola Machamer, Isabella Lafko
District 11 finish: 2nd, 3:53.12
When do they compete: Saturday morning
PIAA Seed: 29th
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: Heat 1, Lane 2
BOYS’ INDIVIDUALS
Noah Bevan
School: Pottsville
Grade: Senior
Event(s): 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle
District 11 finish: 50 freestyle, 2nd, 21.80; 100 freestyle, 3rd, 48.55
PIAA Seed: 50 freestyle, 14th; 100 freestyle, 18th
When does he compete: Friday in 50 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay; Saturday in 100 freestyle
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: 50 freestyle — Heat 3, Lane 2; 100 freestyle — Heat 2, Lane 7
Notes: Also qualified for states in the 200 freestyle as a freshman
Brendan Fetterolf
School: North Schuylkill
Grade: Freshman
Event(s): 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle
District 11 finish: 200 freestyle, 3rd, 1:49.74; 500 freestyle, 2nd, 5:00.98
PIAA Seed: 200 freestyle, 28th; 500 freestyle, 30th
When does he compete: Friday in 200 freestyle; Saturday in 500 freestyle
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: 200 freestyle — Heat 1, Lane 6; 500 freestyle — Heat 1, Lane 2
Notes: Making first appearance at Bucknell after strong District 11 meet
Adam Klinger
School: Pottsville
Grade: Senior
Event(s): Diving
District 11 finish: Champion, 520.50 points
PIAA Seed: 2nd
When does he compete: Friday, 12:40 p.m.
Notes: Klinger will compete at states for the fourth straight year. Last season he became the Schuylkill League’s highest diving place-winner in league history by capturing bronze with 414.75 points.
Ethan Miller
School: Schuylkill Haven
Grade: Sophomore
Event(s): 100 butterfly, 100 breaststroke
District 11 finish: 100 butterfly, 4th, 54.03; 100 breaststroke, 4th, 1:01.81
PIAA Seed: 100 butterfly, 23rd; 100 breaststroke, 30th
When does he compete: Friday in 100 butterfly; Saturday in 100 breaststroke
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: 100 butterfly — Heat 3, Lane 8; 100 breaststroke — Heat 1, Lane 7
Notes: Making second straight trip to states. Placed 30th in 200 IM (2:05.94) last year.
Brody Moyer
School: Blue Mountain
Grade: Junior
Event(s): 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke
District 11 finish: 100 butterfly, 1st, 52.88; 100 backstroke, 3rd, 54.56
PIAA Seed: 100 butterfly, 11th; 100 backstroke, 19th
When does he compete: Friday in 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle relay; Saturday in 100 backstroke, 400 freestyle relay
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: 100 butterfly — Heat 3, Lane 6; 100 backstroke — Heat 4, Lane 1
Notes: Will be competing in four events at states for second straight year. Last year, he was 22nd in 100 butterfly (54.78), 24th in 100 backstroke (55.71), helped Blue Mountain place ninth in the 200 medley relay and earned a fourth-place medal as a member of the Eagles’ 200 freestyle relay.
Porter Sarnes
School: Blue Mountain
Grade: Sophomore
Event(s): 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle
District 11 finish: 200 freestyle, 2nd, 1:46.76; 500 freestyle, 1st, 4:46.27
PIAA Seed: 200 freestyle, 14th; 500 freestyle, 9th
When does he compete: Friday in 200 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay; Saturday in 500 freestyle, 400 freestyle relay
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: 200 freestyle — Heat 3, Lane 2; 500 freestyle — Heat 2, Lane 3
Notes: Will be competing in four events at states for second straight year. Last year, he was 18th in 200 freestyle (1:49.60), 10th in 500 freestyle (4:46.43), helped Blue Mountain place ninth in the 200 medley relay and swam a leg on Blue Mountain’s 400 freestyle relay that was 24th.
Michael Strucko
School: Marian
Grade: Senior
Event(s): 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke
District 11 finish: 200 freestyle, 1st, 1:43.28; 100 backstroke, 1st, 49.64
PIAA Seed: 200 freestyle, 3rd; 100 backstroke, 2nd
When does he compete: Friday in 200 freestyle; Saturday in 500 freestyle
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: 200 freestyle — Heat 2, Lane 4; 100 backstroke — Heat 3, Lane 4
Notes: Strucko will look to return to the podium after earning two state medals last year. He was 7th in the 200 freestyle (1:46.24) and fifth in the 100 backstroke (51.49).
BOYS’ RELAYS
Blue Mountain 200 freestyle relay
Team members: Porter Sarnes, Zach Scala, Aidan Varney, Brody Moyer
District 11 finish: 2nd, 1:29.66
When do they compete: Friday morning
PIAA Seed: 8th
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: Heat 3, Lane 3
Pottsville 200 freestyle relay
Team members: John Mohl, Killian Bressler, Jamison Walsh, Noah Bevan
District 11 finish: 5th, 1:31.99
When do they compete: Friday morning
PIAA Seed: 20th
PIAA Preliminary Heat/Lane: Heat 3, Lane 1
